


Birthday Surprise

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Birthday, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 13:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20426534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Beverly expected to spend her 40th birthday alone at Starfleet Medical, but Jean-Luc surprises her.





	Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick birthday fic on my birthday!

Beverly Crusher smiled as she went through her correspondence in her office at Starfleet Medical. Birthday wishes had been pouring in all day from her friends, former crewmates, and current staff. She even had a cryptic message that might have been from Walker if she and Jean-Luc hadn’t seen his ship destroyed a few months prior. She assumed he must have arranged for the message to be auto-sent on her birthday, since his ship _should_ have been exploring deep space. A frown began to mar her now forty-year-old face as she appeared to be missing a birthday greeting from one of the most important persons in her life.

She knew the _Enterprise_ wasn’t in deep space or even far away - her message from Deanna included an invitation to meet up for dinner the following week when the ship would be within a short shuttle distance. She even had a message from her son – who was _notorious_ for not even realising his own mother _had_ a birthday, let alone remembering to wish her a happy one. At first, she thought perhaps Jean-Luc had reminded him, since she had appointed him as her son’s guardian while she was at medical, but the lack of a message from the man himself led her to believe that Wesley’s message must have been Deanna’s doing.

She flicked off her monitor and tossed her familiar blue labcoat on the back of her chair, depositing the tricorder from its pocket on her desk. She wasn’t going to do _any_ work this evening. She was tempted to leave her comm badge behind as well, but thought she had better have it on her just in case there _was_ some kind of galactic emergency. She paused in the antechamber and grinned at her assistant, who was still busy compiling various reports for her. 

“Callie, I’m leaving for the day. Please don’t call me unless a major galactic emergency happens. You can forward my messages, I’ll look at them later.” Ensign Callie looked up at her boss.

“Sure. And, Happy Birthday, boss! Hope you’re being whisked away to a romantic dinner?” Beverly shook her head.

“No, none of that. The only person I want to spend my birthday with is...” she trailed off and sighed. “Never mind. I’m going to take a long bath, drink some wine, and watch the sunset off my back porch.”

“Have fun, boss.”

###

Beverly had been tempted several times to check her messages once she was home, but she still didn’t have any greetings from her best friend. She wondered if he had forgotten, and was plotting how to milk an apology out of him the next time she saw him as she relaxed in the bathtub in her home – his home, actually. 

When Jean-Luc had heard Beverly would be taking up a position at Starfleet Medical, he had insisted that she stay in the beachfront house he and Walker had purchased jointly years ago. She remembered going there with Jack a few times, and in fact, Walker and Jean-Luc had lent the home to the couple for their honeymoon all those years ago. With Walker deceased, the house now fell into Jean-Luc’s sole ownership and she gathered it hadn’t been used often before Walker’s death, judging by the layers of dust she had to have a servobot clean when she had arrived.

It was far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Starfleet headquarters that it always felt like an oasis of calm. With a transporter terminal in the lower level, she was able to move between the house and her office at Medical in less than five minutes. She sank down to her neck into the deep water of the tub and thanked whichever of her bachelor friend’s had insisted on the large tub....then wondered if it had been a former lover of either. She dismissed the thought easily, knowing that while both men had dated in the past, neither one had ever been quite _that_ serious about anyone except for a few months when Walker was engaged about a year after Wesley had been born. But that relationship had fizzled and ended before the wedding.

Beverly dried herself off and tugged on her bathrobe. No point in getting dressed when it was just her around, was there? She pulled her hair out of the clip she had used to keep it relatively dry and shook it out, finger combing it gently. She padded her way into the kitchen and silently blessed Jean-Luc for ensuring there was a wine cabinet stocked with not only the wine his own family made, but wine from all over the quadrant. Beverly didn’t drink often – preferring not to drink alone and not having anyone near she wanted to drink with – but one could hardly begrudge her wanting to have a glass or two on her birthday. She found a bottle of Chateau Picard from 2356 and decided to pop it open. She carried her open bottle and glass out to the small balcony at the back and rested her full glass on the flat decking of the railing before leaning against it to look out at the ocean. 

The house was fairly isolated - an oasis for busy Starfleet officers – and Beverly couldn’t see a single person on the beach or in the water. The next house was about a kilometre away, but the holographic privacy screens made it feel as though there wasn’t another house nearby so she shrugged out of her robe and threw her head back, letting the late afternoon sun bask her skin. 

“May I join you?” 

The voice startled Beverly and she knocked her glass over, gasping. “J-Jean-Luc. Ah...” she flushed and wondered if she could easily reach for her robe without destroying her dignity. He chuckled. 

“I seem to be overdressed. But then, I suppose spending one’s birthday in their birthday suit makes sense.” Beverly could hear the teasing in his voice, but she scowled and focussed on a point on the horizon, well aware that he was probably focussed on her derrière. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“All well and good for you. _You’re_ not the one standing here naked.” She listened to the thud of boots on the deck, and the soft sound of a zipper. _He wasn’t...was he?_ She strained her ears and listened to the soft fall of fabric against the wooden floor, and heard the slight ping as his communicator made contact with the floor.

“Well, it’s only fair...” She felt, rather than heard him move closer to her spot against the railing and she closed her eyes when she felt his arms wrap around her. She placed one hand on his and the other on the railing as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday, Beverly.”

“I thought you forgot. I had messages from everyone except you.” Jean-Luc moved one hand from her hips to play with her hair, tucking a few strands behind her ear.

“I thought I would come see you and surprise you.”

“Well, I_ am_ surprised....” he chuckled and dropped another kiss on her cheek.

“So am I. Can’t say I expected to find you naked.” 

“No, I suppose not,” Beverly relaxed against his chest, “but I’m glad you’re here.” 

“Me too, Bev. Happy birthday.” The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they watched the sun slip into the horizon and watched the stars begin to become visible. Beverly shivered in the cooling air. “Cold?”

“A little,” Beverly paused before turning around slowly. “Jean-Luc...” 

“Shh,” Jean-Luc pressed his lips against hers. She could feel his rising desire and she kissed him back. She twined her fingers in his and couldn’t help but making a joke.

“Looks like it’ll be a happy birthday now.” Jean-Luc snorted. 

“Always the romantic.” She smirked and he kissed her again. “Shall we?” 

###

Beverly woke with the sun streaming in through the window of the master bedroom and discovered she was alone. She had hoped Jean-Luc would have stayed, but she understood why he hadn’t. Neither of them had ever discussed their relationship or if they had one beyond occasionally sleeping together. She stretched and the scent of coffee reached her nose making her smile. He hadn’t left, he had just gone to make coffee. 

He soon came back into the bedroom clad in a pair of silk boxers with two cups of coffee in his hands. He smiled when he saw Beverly sitting up and passed her one of the cups. “Good morning.” 

“Morning. I thought you might have left.” Jean-Luc climbed back onto the bed and wrapped an arm around her.

“I’m here for the next five days....if you want me to stay, that is.” Beverly nodded.

“Pass me that PADD on the bedside table?” 

“Sure, why?” Jean-Luc handed her the PADD and watched as she began to tap out a message. Her hair fell into her face and he couldn’t help but reach out and push it back behind her ear, kissing it gently in the process.

“Just putting in for some leave and giving Callie some instructions.”

“Callie?”

“My assistant. She’s eager, but pretty good at being my assistant.” He grinned and took the PADD from her when she was done and rested it back on the bedside table. She picked back up her steaming cup and leaned into his shoulder. “This is nice. I like when we do this.”

“Beverly, we’ve never had coffee in bed together before.” 

“Well...” Beverly hedged. “Maybe we should do it more often.” Jean-Luc stiffened next to her, then relaxed and moved his hand down her arm to wrap around her waist. He tugged her closer, careful of the hot drink in her hands. 

“Maybe we should. You know, I’ve missed you these past few months. The ship....” he trailed off and blushed. “It’s not the same.” She grinned.

“Wesley said you were grumpy.” 

“I am _not_ grumpy.” Beverly raised her eyebrows at him. “Alright, maybe I was acting a _little_ grumpy. Did he tell you _why_?” 

“I gather you and my _replacement_ aren’t getting along?” Jean-Luc sighed and drained his cup of coffee. 

“Are you _sure_ you won’t come back?” Beverly smiled over the rim of her cup.

“That bad, huh?” 

“She’s not _you_. I told you what happened with Counsellor Troi. If you had been there....” Beverly put her cup down and reached for his hands, squeezing gently.

“Jean-Luc, you know Deanna. Even if I had advised getting rid of the alien life form growing inside her...the decision would have been up to her. I wouldn’t have been able to force her to terminate it any more than you.” 

“No, but she’d have at least listened to you.” Beverly cocked an eyebrow again.

“Mm. And what did Will think?” 

“He suggested termination.” Beverly nodded.

“Jean-Luc, if Deanna didn’t listen to Will’s advice, what makes you think she would have listened to mine? Just because I was a doctor?” 

“Well...yes.” Beverly rolled her eyes.

“That’s sweet. But no.” She smiled as Jean-Luc continued to make grumbling noises.

“I still need you back.” Beverly began to laugh. 

“Jean-Luc, stop being petulant.” She pushed the sheet aside and rose from the bed. “Did we bring in my robe last night?” 

“I think so. Where are you going?” She gave him a look. 

“Breakfast.”

“In bed?” Jean-Luc eye’s shone hopefully and Beverly laughed again. 

“Is that all you want to do while you’re here? Stay in bed with me?” He pretended to wiggle his eyebrows. 

“The thought _has_ occurred.” Beverly shook her head.

“Nope. Come on. Breakfast, then maybe a stroll on the beach. And you owe me dinner.” 

“I do?” He looked at her in amusement as she pulled on her robe. She nodded.

“You do. You owe me a birthday dinner.” 

“I’ll make the reservations.” She nodded and left the bedroom, calling over her shoulder, “Croissants alright?”

She didn’t wait to hear his response before she moved towards the stairs.

###FIN###


End file.
